כְּאֵב
𐤊𐤀𐤁
kᵉʼêb
H3511 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Physical or emotional pain, distress, or suffering; the state or experience of being afflicted or anguished, whether due to bodily injury, illness, or inner turmoil. In various contexts, can denote literal pain, anguish of the soul, a state of adversity, or sorrow experienced from grief or hardship.
Semantic Range
pain (bodily or emotional), suffering, distress, anguish, adversity, sorrow, grief
Root / Etymology
Root: כאב. Derived from the root verb כָּאַב (ka'av), which means 'to be in pain, hurt, suffer.' The noun כְּאֵב (kᵉ'êb) is formed to indicate the state or experience of pain or suffering itself. The root is associated with physical injury as well as emotional or mental anguish.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term כְּאֵב appears primarily in poetic or prophetic literature (e.g. Jeremiah, Job, Psalms), often conveying deep suffering or inner torment. Although English translations like 'pain' or 'sorrow' approximate its meaning, the Hebrew can embrace both tangible bodily distress and psychological or spiritual agony. The word is sometimes paired with other terms for grief or trouble (e.g. מַכְאוֹב for 'affliction'), but כְּאֵב tends to emphasize the experiential aspect of pain rather than resulting weakness or disease. Its occurrences range from descriptions of individual affliction (as in Job) to representative imagery for communal suffering (as in the laments of Jeremiah). Over time, the semantic focus remained on suffering both physical and emotional, with no major historical shift in meaning evident between pre-exilic and post-exilic usage. Later translations, especially in the Septuagint and Vulgate, sometimes interpret it as 'sorrow' or 'affliction,' reflecting both bodily and mental pain. Modern Hebrew continues to use כאב almost exclusively for 'pain,' predominantly in the sense of physical discomfort.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּאַב; suffering (physical or mental), adversity; grief, pain, sorrow.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כאב (k-ʾ-b) — pain, hurt, suffering
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3511-04 |
מִ/כְּאֵ֣ב | mikeev | HR/Ncmsc |
from pain | from pain-of | 1 |
H3511-03 |
כְאֵבִ/י֙ | kheevi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my pain | my pain | 1 |
H3511-05 |
וּ/כְאֵ֥ב | ukheev | HC/Ncmsa |
and like pain | and pain | 1 |
H3511-06 |
וּ/כְאֵבִ֥/י | ukheevi | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
and-like-my-pain | and my pain | 1 |
H3511-02 |
כְּאֵבִ֑/י | keevi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my pain | my pain | 1 |
H3511-01 |
הַ/כְּאֵ֖ב | hakeev | HTd/Ncmsa |
the pain | the pain | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3511-05 |
Isaiah 17:11 | וּ/כְאֵ֥ב | ukheev | HC/Ncmsa |
and like pain | and pain |
H3511-04 |
Isaiah 65:14 | מִ/כְּאֵ֣ב | mikeev | HR/Ncmsc |
from pain | from pain-of |
H3511-03 |
Jeremiah 15:18 | כְאֵבִ/י֙ | kheevi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my pain | my pain |
H3511-06 |
Psalms 39:3 | וּ/כְאֵבִ֥/י | ukheevi | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
and-like-my-pain | and my pain |
H3511-01 |
Job 2:13 | הַ/כְּאֵ֖ב | hakeev | HTd/Ncmsa |
the pain | the pain |
H3511-02 |
Job 16:6 | כְּאֵבִ֑/י | keevi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my pain | my pain |